With increasing need for medical diagnostics, increasingly large volumes of clinical samples are being processed. Processing of clinical samples and specimens can involve, among other things, the transfer of samples or specimens to containers or receptacles suitable for the diagnostic testing to be performed. Processing of samples and specimens can include steps of accessing the contents of an initial container or receptacle, for example by removing the cover, removing a portion of the contents, and transferring a portion of the contents to a destination container or receptacle. In some situations, processing can include replacing the cover of or otherwise closing the initial container or receptacle to preserve the remaining contents for further testing or archiving.
The processing of large numbers of samples and specimens increases the time in providing results of the diagnostics, increases the exposure of workers to repetitive motion disorders and to potentially bioharzardous materials, reduces consistency of sample or specimen preparation, and increases the cost of the diagnostic procedure. As the volume of medical diagnostic testing increases, the number of samples and specimens that require processing increases. Automation of the sample preparation process for medical diagnostic testing addresses the issues identified above by reducing the time required to process specimens, reducing the exposure of workers to repetitive motion and biohazardous materials, providing for consistency in the processing of samples, and helping to contain the cost of processing specimens.